


Finally Home

by notjustmom



Series: Finally Home [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:06:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23393740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: This story kept popping into my head over the last few days, and I finally wrote the first chapter in the wee hours of this morning.It begins when Steve Rogers wakes up after being recovered from the ice, to find Natasha Romanov sitting there. She is acting as his shadow, as she did for Tony Stark in IM2, but in this universe, she is doing it as a favor for Nick Fury, as she is sidelined with an injury from her last mission, and had nothing better to do.I haven't decided if this pairing will be more than platonic as they were in the MCU, my thought is that, at some point, the relationship will change, I just don't have that settled in my writer's brain yet...
Relationships: Steve Rogers & Natasha Romanov
Series: Finally Home [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682734
Comments: 36
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

_How’s Sleeping Beauty? - Barton_

_Still sleeping. - Nat_

Natasha Romanov yawned and stretched out her bad right leg as far as she could before she was reminded why she was stuck on babysitting duty for the nearly thawed out Capsicle. After her latest mission, in which she snapped her ACL, landed her at desk duty, Nick Fury had visited her apartment and told her the story of the discovery of Captain Steve Rogers in the ice, almost seventy years after he crash landed to save New York City. Fury had asked her, not assigned her this duty, and since she had nothing better to do, had accepted. It was now three weeks later and she was bored out of her mind.

_How long he been out now?_

_68 years and three weeks, but who’s counting?_ Natasha tapped out with a smirk.

_Tried kissing him?_

She snorted, but looked over at the man who hadn’t moved other than to breathe since the day she limped into his room. He wasn’t hard to look at, she had to give him that, for an older guy.

_If this goes on much longer, I might try it-_ she looked up at a surprised groan, and quickly typed out: _gotta go_

_Nat?_

_Later_

She dropped her phone into her pocket, then instinctively backed up and felt for the weapons that weren’t there as Rogers bolted upright and cleared his throat before he whispered roughly, “Who are you, and where am I?” He blinked at her and asked, “Ma’am? May I have a cup of water?”

She got to her feet carefully and poured out a cup of water for him, then walked it over and placed it into his hands, which she noted were trembling slightly. “My name isn’t important, Captain Rogers, in fact, it’s better for you if you don’t know it, but if you call me ma’am again, I’ll knock you out.”

He took a sip of water and nodded before he handed it back to her. “Understood, Miss, sorry.”

“As to where you are - what is the last thing you remember?” She softened her voice and dropped into her chair again. It wasn’t her job to debrief him, she was just honestly curious, as she had spent much of the last three weeks reviewing Rogers’ file, and had spoken briefly to Peggy Carter who had been the last person to speak to him before he was lost on radar.

“Crashing the jet. Damn. Pardon me, Miss. The tesseract.”

“The what?”

“Peggy. Where’s Peggy?”

Oh hell. She narrowed her eyes at him and blew out a breath. “Captain Rogers. You went into the ice in 1943.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s the thirtieth of March, 2011.” She figured it was better just to tell him, like ripping off a band-aid, than trying to ease him into it. She knew if she had been in his place, she’d want to know the truth as soon as possible.

She watched as his mouth moved, but no sound came out, and she briefly wondered if she had broken him. “Captain Rogers?”

“Peggy?” He asked again.

“She’s still alive, and wants to see you when you are ready.”

“Stark.”

She shook her head, then answered, “He and his wife were killed in a crash in 1991.”

“He got married.”

She nodded.

“Kids?”

“One.” She thought back to her time with Tony Stark, and found herself smiling at the differences between the two men.

“Can I meet -”

“Tony. Uhm, yeah, I guess. I’ll have to check with the powers that be, but I don’t see why not. First though, you need time to adjust.”

“Adjust to what?”

In answer, she got up and slipped her phone from her pocket and placed it into his hand. “That, right there, is basically what you need to exist in the world.”

“And what exactly is this?”

“A telephone,” she replied with a grin.

“Yer having me on.”

“Nope.”

He sighed, then threw his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet and all Natasha could do was let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

“Language, Miss.”

“Sorry, it’s just - they broke the mold when they made you, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, they did, actually. Is there a place in 2011 where I can still get a cheeseburger?”

She laughed and shook her head, at least he and Stark had one thing in common. “Yeah, I think I can arrange that.” Fury had thought far enough in advance, as he always did, to leave a closet full of clothes that might fit the man who stood at attention in front of her. “At ease soldier,” she snarked lightly, as she tossed him a hoodie, and watched as he snagged it in mid-air, reflexes still sharp. “You can call me Nat.”

“Nat?”

“Short for Natasha.”

“Russian.”

“Used to be.”

“Should I ask?”

She shook her head, then looked up into the steel blue eyes and relaxed a bit for reasons she didn’t understand. “Maybe one day I’ll tell you.” She watched as he zipped up the jacket and pulled the hood over his head. “Ready to meet the twenty-first century, Captain Rogers?”

“Not really, Nat.”

She grinned up at him, taken aback by his honesty and lack of guile - so different - stop, Nat, he’s - he’s way too - she took a deep breath and offered him her arm. “Shall we, Cap?”


	2. Chapter 2

Steve blinked at the bright sunlight as they left the building, then froze and squeezed Natasha’s arm until she let out a sharp yelp. “Sorry, Nat.” He let go of her arm and realized he was home, but it was no longer the home he had left so long ago. “Why?”

“Why, what?”

“Why here?”

Nat shrugged and looked around. “Guess the powers that be had a rare moment of sentiment?”

He glanced down at her and asked a bit nervously, “are you going to get in trouble for letting me leave?”

“It’s my job to determine the best way to debrief you, and help you get acclimated to the world again, and I determined a walk in the not so fresh air and a cheeseburger or three was the best way to start.” She watched his face carefully and sighed. “You knew Peggy.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I was her last ‘recruit’ before she finally decided to retire, from official duties, anyway. You never really retire from S.H.I.E.L.D,” she snorted as she rubbed her arm, then looked back up at him. “When she knew that they had found you, she went above their heads and ‘gently suggested’ to my boss that I take over your case.”

“But -”

“How old was Peggy when you met her?”

Steve blushed and rolled his eyes at her, “a gentleman never asks a lady’s age.”

“I’m thirty-two, she was ten years younger when she met you, and from what I understand, more than capable?”

“Yeah, yeah, she was. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry, I’m used to it. Sexism and ageism still exist, you’d think by now - never mind, cheeseburgers?”

“Please? When can I -”

“See Peggy? After we eat.” 

Peggy was asleep when they entered the room, but after a few moments, opened her eyes and smiled at them both. “Natasha, dear, you brought him, finally.” She gave Nat a wink and Natasha nodded, then left the room. “Haven’t aged a day, have you?” She asked with a smile as she sat up.

“Sorry I missed our dance.” Steve whispered, then wiped the tear from her cheek.

“You did what you had to do. I - we looked for you - we just didn’t have the technology back then. Howard - he was never the same, after.”

“He has a son, Nat said?”

“Tony, piece of work, like Howard was, but kinder in his way. Howard wasn’t the best father, certainly not the father Tony needed-” she nodded at the photographs on her bedside table. “We tried to make up for his shortcomings- you should meet him, you’ll probably drive each other crazy, but- what?”

“You had a good life Peggy?”

“Hmm… the best.” She reached over and laid a trembling hand against his face, then gazed into his eyes. “I am sorry you didn’t get to live yours, but maybe, now?”

“It’s so different out there, Peg, so bright, and fast - too much -”

“Yes,” she nodded. “But this world needs you, maybe more than it did before, and I think you’ll find your place in it.” He watched as her eyes closed and he placed her hand under the covers carefully, then leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“I’ll be back soon, Peg, I promise.”

Natasha studied his face as he walked toward her, no obvious emotion there, but she shifted her gaze to his hands and saw the tension in his clenched fists. He wasn’t like Tony, who never had a problem letting you know exactly what he was feeling at the moment if it suited him - no, that wasn’t fair - he was who he was. Rogers, she was learning quickly, was a man of his time, and it would take time to get to know him, learn his tells, which buttons to push -

“Hey.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He looked down at his hands, then up at her again and offered her a smirk, then shook his head. “Times like these, I wish I could get drunk - at least feel like I was.” He shrugged, then asked, “Is there a place I can box? A gym - are there still gyms these days?”

“Yeah, kiddo - I know a place.” Nat smiled at him, then blinked in surprise as he laughed out loud for the first time.

“I am old enough to be your grandfather at least,” he muttered as he wiped the tears from his eyes, then saw the look in her eyes and looked away. “I’m fine, really. It’s just, I’m not sure if it would’ve been better -”

Nat reached for his hand and squeezed it. “There’s a reason you survived. I know it’s going to take some time for you to figure things out, but I’m not going anywhere. You won’t be on your own, I promise.”


	3. Chapter 3

Steve followed Nat into the gym and took in a deep breath, this, he remembered. He opened his eyes and looked around, it was a little cleaner, definitely a little brighter than he recalled, but everything was these days. He wished he could just tone things down a bit, it wasn't that life had been grayer before, or maybe it was, he wasn't sure anymore.

"Okay?" Nat asked and nodded at the bags. He nodded, then handed her his hoodie and stalked across the oddly silent gym. If he had any questions about it, he didn't ask. She sighed as she felt her phone buzz in her jacket and reluctantly pulled it out.

He's awake, then. - Fury

Yes, sir. 

Took him to Peggy. - Fury

Yes, sir.

You have a week. - Fury

Sir -

Ten days, best I can do, Agent Romanov. - Fury

I think he should meet Tony.

Is that wise? - Fury

Might help them both. 

She watched as Steve finished taping his hands then began his bag work, he was a little rusty at first then he remembered to breathe and take his time, and she was glad Fury hated talking on the phone as her breath caught when Rogers knocked the bag across the room with a single punch, and her phone fell to the floor with a clatter. Steve turned at the noise and she gave him a sheepish grin as she bent down to pick it up.

I'll see what I can do, two weeks. - Fury

Why me?

You did well with Stark, and Captain Rogers needs someone he can trust, someone who can catch him up on the last sixty-eight years without blowing his mind too badly. - Fury

I'll do my best, sir. 

You always do, Romanov. Get him back to the safe house. - Fury

Sir.

She slipped her phone back in her pocket and cleared her throat. "Enough sightseeing for the day, I know you probably think you've slept long enough, but -"

"Mind if we stop one more place?"

Nat sighed and shrugged. "Where to?"

"I need a sketchbook and pencils, those still exist these days?"

She tossed him his hoodie and realized he was barely breathing hard and hadn't even broken into a sweat in the few minutes they had been there, and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. "You draw?"

"Yeah, it was something I just did, from when I was a kid, always had a pencil and paper around, feel kinda, well, not myself without it, like you without -" he paused, then narrowed his eyes at her. "Without your partner and your weapon, right?"

She bit her lip, but nodded eventually. "Yeah, there's a place next block over." They walked to the door, then she glanced up at a nearly darkened window above the gym and as she gave a slight nod, the lights were switched off.

Nick Fury sighed as he saw the ID on his phone but knew better than to ignore her call. "Peggy. What can I do for you? Yes, I've seen your boy in action, a bit rusty, but what do you expect after a few decades in the ice? No, I know, I've given her a couple of weeks, yeah, she thinks they should meet too. I'm not so sure - yeah, yeah, okay, I'll set it up. No, it's just I know how Tony felt - yeah I know you do, too. I'm just not expecting much. Get some rest now, hmm? No. Not saying that at all, Peg. Yes, I'll be there at seven, and no, I won't forget the Thai food, do I ever?" He ended the call, then dialed Pepper Potts' number.

Nat watched as Steve stopped short in front of the assortment of sketchbooks and gave a low whistle. "Damn, sorry - it's just, there are so many of them. When I was a kid, back - you know -"

"Get whatever you want, it's on me."

"Nat -"

"I have carte blanche - I guess they figure, they pulled you out of the ice, it's their job to take care of you."

Steve snorted as he picked out a small leather bound book and held it to his face, "not real leather, real leather has a feel, a scent to it." He looked around the store and shook his head. "All the bright lights, the flash - it's real, but not - not the same." He looked down at Natasha and sighed. "Sorry. I don't mean anything by it, I appreciate what you're doing, I do. It's just not -"

"Home? No, it won't be, for a while, eventually -"

"How long did it take you?" Steve asked, then realized he may have overstepped, and returned his gaze to the book in his hand.

"A while, but I had a friend, well, he became a friend, who helped me through it."

He picked up a couple more of the faux-leather books, and paused before he asked quietly, "are you my friend, Nat?"

She grinned as she took the books from his hand, and placed them into the basket, "I don't have a lot of practice being someone's friend, not in my line of work, but yeah, I hope you will consider me a friend some day, Steve. Now, you need pencils, and erasers, right?"

"Hey Ms. Potts, got some time to talk?"

"Mr. Fury. What can I do for you?"

"How's he doing?"

Pepper walked down the stairs to the workshop and stopped at the door. Tony fussed at Dum-E about something, then turned his attention back to the update on the armor, the third armor he had made since his announcement at the press conference a little over two months earlier. She turned away from the door and started walking back upstairs before she answered, "Normal for him, why do you ask?"

"I think the two of you should take a trip back east for a vacation."

"I don't think he will -"

"Listen, Ms. Potts, Pepper, it's not in the news yet, because I've stopped it from making the CNN ticker, but we pulled Steve Rogers out of the ice a few weeks ago -"

"Steve -" she blinked and stopped, then turned back downstairs towards the workshop again. "Rogers, you mean -"

"Yep, Captain America, himself, and he's, well, he's thawed out and -"

"He's alive." There wasn't much astonishment in her voice, and he didn't blame her, considering what the last year had been like for her and Stark, he was sure there was little that could astonish her anymore. "Yeah, I think I will be able to convince him to take a break, thank you for the heads up, Mr. Fury. When do you want us there?"

"As soon as humanly possible, Ms. Potts."

"Panang Curry, extra spicy." Fury set the container in front of Peggy, and took the chair next to her. She may be nearing her ninetieth birthday, at least that's what her file told him, but she still used chopsticks better than he ever would. The stories she could tell him, he considered as he opened his own carton, but he knew she never would. 

"What is it, Nick?" She was the only one he allowed to call him that, outside of - well - she wasn't even in the same universe anymore, let alone the same zipcode. She always could tell when something was bugging him, better than anyone.

"I'm just not sure about -"

"Tony and Steve meeting? You did set it up, though, didn't you?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I did."

"Now, Nick." She placed the chopsticks lightly in the container, and laid a hand on his. "Don't be like that. You've always trusted my instincts before -"

"Peg. It's just, I know Tony."

"As do I, and I know Steve, and I think they will need each other. Tony is trying to work out what has happened to him logically, he can't let himself feel anything about it, not yet, and Steve, well, as much as he always tried to deny it, he was all guts and feeling, didn't always think or act logically. You know his file better than anyone, you know that's true. I know putting two alphas together is always a risk, but, trust me, Nick, hmm, one last time?"

"Peg."

"Oh, don't fuss, Nick. Eat your dinner, you haven't eaten in days, and then it's time I get my revenge for that last game of Scrabble, you pulled a fast one on me, last week."

"Caught me." Nick laughed as he switched to a fork and all but annihilated his dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

Pepper walked into the workshop and waited for Tony to look up.

"What is it?" He had known her long enough to know something had unsettled her, and after a lengthy silence, wasn't actually sure he wanted to know after all.

"We need to go see Peggy."

"Is something wrong? I mean I know she's almost ninety, but -"

"No, she's fine. It's, well, S.H.I.E.L.D related."

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed. "When did Fury call?"

"Five minutes ago."

"When do we -?"

"Plane will be ready when you are."

He narrowed his eyes at her, and he knew she knew what was going on, as she always did; if she thought it best not to tell him whatever it was she wasn't telling him, she had her reasons. He saved his work, then powered the room down, and said quietly, "Jarvis."

"Sir."

"Keep an eye on things, hmm?"

"Don't I always, sir?"

"Aunt Peg." Tony Stark's voice broke her reverie as she stood at the window.

"Tony." She turned and paused for a moment when she saw the look in his eyes, then walked over to him. "You've had a time of it, lately, haven't you?"

He allowed her to place her hands on his face, and she studied him carefully for a moment before he pulled away. She had always had a way of seeing too much at times, and she knew exactly what the last year had been like for him, Fury wouldn't dare keep her out of the loop. "That's putting it mildly, and now, Pepper put us on a plane for a 'vacation,' when I have things I need to do, she said you would explain?"

"I think it's best if you sit down, dear."

"That bad."

"Not necessarily, actually, I think, it may turn out to be quite a good thing. You may not think so now, but maybe later..."

Tony frowned at her, but took a seat by the window and took a slow, deep breath in.

"I know you remember the stories your dad and I told you about Steve Rogers when you were growing up."

"How could I forget?" Tony muttered under his breath, then looked up at a noise and stood up as tall as he could when Steve Rogers, followed by Natasha Romanov entered the room.

"Romanov," Tony muttered.

She nodded at him, and froze as she saw the look on his face. "Stark."

Tony blinked at the man who stood at least four to five inches taller than himself and let out a low whistle, as he crossed his arms and paced the floor for a few minutes before he stopped short and nodded. "So. Story was you went into the ice with the Tesseract. Roughly sixty-eight years ago."

Steve nodded and waited for Tony to catch his breath.

"And they found you, what, a few weeks ago, hmm? And, since you've got Ms. Romanov here, as your, what did they call it, shadow? Right? I'm guessing they are just waiting for you to get acclimated to this new world that you woke up in, and then they are going to -"

"Tony," Natasha moved to stand in front of Steve and Tony shook his head. 

"No, it's good, really. It's good. Whatever plans Fury has for you, I'm sure it'll be great." He turned to Peggy and smiled at her, then nodded. "You got your golden boy back, I'm happy for you, Aunt Peg. Steve, good to meet you at last, but I've got work that -"

"Tony." Tony had his hand on the door handle when Steve spoke his name. It was a voice he'd spent his childhood hearing, from the old movie reels his father would sit in the basement workshop and watch over and over. He had grown up in the shadow of this man, and here he stood, looking not a day over twenty-five. He rubbed at his chest and winced, and wishing more than anything to be back in his workshop away from this room, and everyone in it. "Can we get some coffee, and talk?"

"Sure that's allowed, Cap?" Tony asked, then looked up into the blue eyes and shrugged as he opened the door and nearly bowed, "after you," and he walked out of the room without looking back.

"Well. That went well," Natasha breathed out when the door clicked closed again.

"Don't worry, Natasha, dear. You did show him Tony's file, like I asked."

"Against my better judgment, yes, feels a bit -"

"Yes, I know, but I have a feeling -"

"I know, Peg." Natasha glanced over at Peggy and saw the sparkle in her eyes. "I know. It's just these two-"

"Give them a chance, hmm? If I'm wrong, I'm wrong - but -"

"You're never wrong, Peg," Natasha smiled at her, then spotted the Scrabble box on the table. "Shall we?"

"You don't want to drink the coffee here," Tony said as they walked from the room.

"No?" Steve asked with a smirk.

"Coffee was a good excuse to get me out of the room, though. You think fast on your feet - sorry - I'm not -" He glanced up at Steve and shook his head. "I don't trust a lot of people, never have. Peggy is one of the few I do. Pepper is the other -"

"Pepper?"

"You read my file, Peg wouldn't have us meet if you were unprepared. You know Pepper is my assistant. She was right not to tell me why we flew here at a moment's notice." He stopped short and turned around to look at Steve, and shook his head. "Just like the damn movie reels. Man, my old man loved you."

"He was my friend, and he was -"

"What?" Tony asked, the defenses up again.

"He could be an ass in the best of times," Tony couldn't help but laugh in agreement, even as he heard a 'but' coming. "But he was the best man I knew in the worst of times. From what I have read about you already, I have an idea that you are a lot like him - I understand if you want to get back on your plane and go back to California, forget I exist - I get it."

Tony rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets, and nodded. "Come with me. You do eat, right?"

"Yeah."

"There's a burger joint a couple blocks away - don't worry, Peg has eyes everywhere, and if she doesn't, Fury does."

"Same old stuff, huh?"

"Yeah, we just have better tech, better burgers..."

"Better everything?"

"I don't know about that," Tony answered as they got on the elevator, "There are days when I wish life was a bit less -"

"Flashy?"

"Yeah. I could do with a bit less flash at times." Tony agreed as he mashed the button on the elevator wall.

"So..."

"As good as can be expected, I think." Peggy said as she watched them cross the street. "But somehow Steve got Tony to take him to lunch."

"Not to the diner."

"Of course to the diner. I know my boys, Fury."

"I know, Peg, it's just -"

"Give them some time, Nick, trust me, hmm?"


End file.
